Furnace-ashes washer



'H. M. WEBSTER. FURNACE ASHES WASHER.- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10' 1921.

Patented May 30, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. M. WEBSTER.

FURNACE ASHES WASHER.

APPLICATION H LED MAR. 10; 1921.

Patented May 30, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

into the 'sum ed coal and-the part generally fine dust which represents thorough combustion sothat the HOWARD 'MaWEBSTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FURNACE-ASHES WASHER.

m ners.

Application filed March 10 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD M. W'EBsTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnace-Ashes Washers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, substantial and comparatively inexpensive deviceor apparatus for household use to conveniently separate furnace ashes part which contains partly conunburned part may be returned to the furnace for further combustion and the other part removed from the furnace room in a compact and moist condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for washing furnace ashes which can be filled by shoveling directly from the ash pit and separated without producing the usualcloud of dust which attends the removal of'ashes in the ordinary way; and which leaves theincompletely burned part and the completely burned partseparated from each other and in a compact condition i which permits of easy handling. also without producing a dust cloud.

And a further object of the invention is to provide an ash washer which comprises a rotary screen adapted to be easily filled'and operated to thoroughly wash the ashes and then adjusted for draining;

and finally removed for emptyingrto adapt the device in a convenient form for household use, or in larger forms for use in apartment houses or larger buildings." I

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a selected embodiment of themvention and referring thereto,

Fig; 1 is 'a sectional view on the li ne l'l of Fig. 2'showing the device in washing position." 3

Fig. 2 is a'sectionalview on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; y Fig. 3 illustrates the screen in draining osition.

Fig.4 shows the screen in filling position. Referring to drawings; MS tank. of suit Specification of Letters Patent.

- with .or disengaged Serial No. 451,231.

able dimensions adapted to contain a supply of water and provided with a faucet 6 or other suitable drain device which is preferably located slightlybelow the screen when the latter is in washingposition, as .shown in Fig. 1. The purpose of this location of Patented May 30,1922. 1

the drain is topermitthe tank'to be filled to I its maximum fine ashes.

' A rotary which is supported in washingv the screen in bearings 9 in the. cross bars 9 suitably supported on and secured to the capacity with the. separated tank. In that form of the invention illustrated in the drawings the screen has ahead 8, a head 11' 10 mounted rigidly on the shaft removably mounted on the shaft and a spider 12 rigidly'mounted on the shaft within the screen at the end upon which fits theremovable head 11. The heads 10 andll are preferably of skeletonform and theopenings thereinare covered with wire meshcorresponding'to the wire mesh which forms that portion of the screen 'between'the heads 10 and 11. The two cross bars 9 ably located onthe tank'softhatthe hubs 10 and 11 of the heads 10 and 11 will fitsnugly between said cross bars when the head 11 is properly fitted on] the screen so that the screen will be rigidly held with the removable head secured in place thereon against any pressure that may be exerted by the ashes within the screen during the operation 'of the device.

The crank handle 13 is removably engaged with the end'of the shaft, being provided with a studs 14 to engage a slot 15 in the shaft or otherwise constructed so that it may be eas ily, an ;l quickly engaged from the. shaft. The

16to engage the shaft 8 and one of the cross bars 10, is provided with a socket 17 so that the crank andle may be utilized for supscreen 7 is mounted on a shaft 8 I positionof are preferp'rovidedwi'th a socket porting'the screen in an inclined position,'as

shown in 14 for filling the screen with ashes.

In practice the .tank iis fille d nearly-full with water, and the screen is supported by the handle in the tilted position of Fig. .4 for filling. I have found it convenient to recloud of dust in the furnace room.

move the crank handle from the shaft and then use the end of the shaft as a sort of handle for lifting the screen to the inclined position of Fig. 4. WVhen the screen is lifted sufficiently clear of the tank the head 11 is removed and the crank handle 13 is adjusted to support the screen in the tilted position. Then the ashes are shoveled from the furnace ash pit into the screen. This can be done carefully and without producing a After the screen has been filled nearly full of ashes the removable head is replaced, the screen returned to horizontal position of Fig. 1 and the crank handle replaced, whereupon they handle is employed to revolve the screen which subinerges a considerable portion of the contained ashes in the water. I have found that considerable of the fine ashes will drop through the mesh of the screen into the water when they are shoveled into the screen, and I have also found that the agitation of the ashes created by the revolution of the screen accomplishes a thorough washing of the mass of ashes and a separation of the fine ashes from the part which is only partly or not sufliciently burned so that the latter part can be returned to the furnace for further combustion, thus saving this loss which is many times a material factor due as often perhaps to careless attention to the furnace as to the fault of the furnace itself.

After the ashes have been thoroughly Washed the screen should be swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 for draining. When the surplus water has drained off of the screen the head 11 is removed from the screen and the contents thereof are dumped upon the furnace floor, or into the coal bin or other convenient place to be returned to the fire box when required. The washed ashes can be used in the ordinary way like coal or they maybe used forbanking the fire for which they are very satisfactory. vVhen the tank fills with ashesup to the level of the drain it should be emptied and at this time the drain is opened to draw off the water and then the ashes are shoveled out or, if the tank is not too large, the ashes may be dumped out.

My invention is well adapted for household use and it provides a means for conveniently and easily separating and saving the unconsumed ashes which are ordinarily thrown away. Myash washer can be used without-producing a cloud of dust and this makes it particularly suited for household use. I am awarev that changes intheform and proportion and construction of parts may be made without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages and I therefore reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

In Fig. 2 I have attempted to illustrate the tank, half bearings the condition of the material at the begin ning of the washing operation and after the screen has been revolved two or three times. The dust, fine ashes and unburned and partly burned coal in wet condition form a mass which sticks together very much like mud and is carried up by the screen in the manner shown in Fig.2 and dumped therein upon the surface of the water whereby the fine ashes are separated and washed through the screen and settle to the bottom of the tank.

I claim:

1. Means for washing furnace ashes comprising a water tank, cross bars mounted on the tank, a rotatable shaft supported 1n bearings on said cross bars and projecting at one end beyond. an end of the tank, and a cylindrical screen mounted on the shaft between the cross bars and having heads provided with outwardly projecting hubs to operate in juxtaposition to the bearings whereby to avoid material endwise movement of the screen.

2. Means for washing furnace ashes com-- prising a water tank, cross bars mounted on the tank, a rotatable shaft supported on said cross bars andprojecting atone end beyond an end of the tank, a crank handle detachably secured on the projecting end of said shaft, and a cylindrical screen mounted on said shaft between said cross bars and having a removable head at that end adjacent the crank handle, and a fixed head at its other end. i e

3. Means for washing furnace ashes comprising a water tank, cross bars mounted on on said cross bars, .a rotatable shaft supported in saidbearings and projecting at one end beyond'anend of 105 the tank, a cylindrical screen mounted on the shaft between said cross bars, said screen having a fixed head at one end and a removable head at the end adjacent said projecting end of the shaft, said heads being located in juxtaposition to said bearings, said projecting end of the shaft providing means whereby the screen may be lifted to tilted position with, the removable head end elevated, and a crank handle on said projecting end. of the shaft. I I

l. Means forwashing furnace ashes comprising a water tank, cross bars mounted on the tank, a rotatable shaftsupported on said; cross bars and projecting at one end beyond an end of the tank,-a screen mountedon said shaft between the cross bars, a crank handle detachably engaged with the projecting endsof theshaftand having a socket in one end to engage the shaft, the cross bar adjacent the'projecting end ofthe shaft having a socket to receive the handle when the latter is engaged therewith to. support the screen in tilted-position. 1

5. Means for washing furnace ashes comprising a Water tank, cross bars mounted on the tank and having half bearings thereon, a rotatable shaft supported in said bearings and projecting at one end beyond an end of the tank, a cylindrical screen mounted on said shaft between said cross bars, said screen having a rigid head at one end and a removable head at that end adjacent the projecting end of the shaft; a spider rigidly mounted on the shaft Within the screen at that end which is provided With'the removable head, and a crank handle on the pro jeeting end of the shaft.

HOWARD M. WEBSTER. 

